Full Sprint
by e8f3ff
Summary: Oikawa Hikaru is a track star at Karasuno High. After years of standing in her brother's shadow, she finally has the chance to create her own name - not to mention, she no longer has to restrict her friendship with Tobio. As the days wane closer to the Spring Tournament, Hikaru suffers a pivotal injury and finds herself in new situations evoking previously hidden emotions...
1. Chapter 1

I ran past Tooru's grumpy face towards the kitchen. I couldn't be late for practice, not for the next two weeks! The big tournament was in just less than two weeks, and every moment spent perfecting and revising counted - My relay team had yet to completely detail and perfect our exchanges, and we could still improve in other aspects as well. I grabbed an apple and ran out the door, ready to jog to Karasuno, only to be held back by a strong hand.

"Hey, you forgot your shoes, idiot," my brother rolled his chocolate eyes. He handed my spikes to me and hugged me, before pushing me out the door. "I'll see you at home tonight after practice, Hika-chan," he smiled, still sporting his subjectively unattractive bed hair and alien pyjamas.

"Thanks, Nii-chan!" I called back before I started moving my legs to a familiar rhythm and pace. Running had always seemed natural to me. I liked to live life on the fast lane and take on whatever came at me head-on, unlike my brother who valued control and careful observations. I liked to take risks and jump at opportunities, whereas he preferred to think critically about it before coming to a conclusion - that was the difference between us, it always has been, it always will be. Although I loved my brother dearly, he played it too safe and took too much out of situations. I say things happen just by coincidence sometimes, and you shouldn't hold people to their small actions too much. Tooru disagrees, saying that the little things mean everything because people do them by instinct. Either way, we both chose sports that suited us - him and his analytical position in volleyball, me and my ephemeral track. We could both agree that that's all that mattered, anyway - using your strengths to your advantage.

As a kid, people always thought I would pursue a volleyball career like my famous sibling. I tried playing once, back when I was in first-year elementary and my brother and Hajime-san, both in third-year, asked me to play with their friends. I played as a middle blocker, but I just couldn't get the timing right for anything. I practised with my brother after that, but after even a month, I still couldn't get it right. It was just a fundamental problem, I just wasn't hard-wired to watch my opponents and wait for the right time - or rather, I just couldn't find the right time because the right time was "immediately" in my mind. Soon after, I discovered track and it became a routine for me to practice and time my sprints.

In Kitagawa Daiichi, I joined the track team and became a well-known member, even to other schools. Sometimes I'd get random people coming up to me and asking to be friends (or at-least implying very directly), but even I knew that they just wanted to get close to Tooru. People would even come and ask me why I didn't play volleyball like my "hot brother" (choke) did. I would shrug and say something like "I'm not my brother" and walk away. Which was true, I was definitely not my brother, what more did they need to hear? Eventually, people moved on from that fact that I was my brother to the fact that I was myself. At last, by the end of my third year at Kitagawa Daiichi, I had stepped out of my brother's shadow. And there was no way I was stepping back in it. I chose to go to Karasuno not only because of its proficient track team - especially Shimizu-senpai - but also to distance myself from the well-known title of "Grand-King's Sister" that I would have to endure if I attended Aoba Jousai.

I panted as I arrived at the gates of Karasuno. A group of boys were unlocking the doors to the boy's gym at the moment, meaning...

"Tobio-kun!" I called out. A familiar blueberry-head turned to meet me.

"Hey, Hikaru-san," he yelled back. Tobio turned back towards the gymnasium as the doors opened. I resumed to the track and met up with my some of my teammates. We started talking about our weekends while warming up and waiting for the coach to arrive. One of my relay members walked over to me with a sly look on her face.

"You're still close with 'Tobio-kun' from Class 3?" she raised her eyebrow. I guess she overheard us as I was jogging here.

"Yeah, we've been friends for like three years," I replied dismissively. It was true, mostly. Leading up to and after the infamous match last year, he got all emo on me, but thankfully he snapped out of it eventually. We're basically as close as we were before then, now. "But nothing more, Maki!" Maki smiled and raised her arms in defence.

"I was just wondering how your brother hasn't stopped this yet..." she chuckled. "But I mean I guess he wouldn't have to find out if you two just always did it at Kageya-"

"Shut the fuck up before I impale you with my spikes, _Maki-chan_ ," I smiled, pushing my shoes to Maki, sole facing her. "You don't think I get shit every time I get a notification on my phone from, walk with, or even look at Tobio? You have no idea how goddamn annoying 'You two are dating, aren't you?!' 'I won't allow this!' and 'Get away from my sister, Tobio-chan!' gets," I whined. I will never forget the time Tobio texted me while I was taking a shower, and my brother thought we were exchanging, quote-unquote, "provocative pictures." What did he actually send me? "I ran out of milk." Just take a moment to imagine how Tooru interpreted that.

Maki laughed, patting my noticeably disgruntled posture. "All right, all right. Whatever you say," she wheezed. "Just remember to be careful when you get 'close' with Kageyama and use prote-" Whatever Maki was about to say (which I can pretty vividly imagine) was cut off as Coach made her distinct entrance, as always.

"Good morning, everyone. Glad to see that you're awake and alive. Let's start by running 5 laps around the track!" She boomed. We nodded and started our 2-kilometre warm up before the intense training that would take place afterwards. I sighed in relief, ready for the practice and, more prominently, relieved that I escaped that conversation with Maki. Smiling, my feet slapped against the textured ground of the track. A dissonant harmony of footsteps and heavy breaths echoed in my mind as I glanced over at the boy's gym, then the ground before me. It was hard being friends with my brother's "sworn enemy," as he claims, but it was worth it. Tobio was sweet and easy to talk to and besides that, I was one of the only people who _would_ talk to him, although I don't know why. Maybe he was just too blunt and oblivious for other people to stand, or he came off as rude. Moi, au contraire, that's what I liked about him. He was so easy to read.

Rounding off the final corner and onto the straight for the fifth time, I concluded my 2k. I waited for the rest of the team to finish as I stretched my calves and quadriceps. At last, it was time to get down to business.

"Now," Coach assembled us, face grim and serious, "let's get it together before these two weeks end."

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 **Word count (excluding bold): 1295**

 **Last updated: Sept. 24, 2017**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: People actually found and read this? I'm slightly scared and nervous now that** ** _people might actually care_** **. Nevertheless, thank you for reading! I'll try to update frequently, probably at least once a week.**

 **Thanks also for reviews and favourites! I appreciate all of you who visit!**

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"Alright," Coach announced, "let's start off with our relay teams against each other. Choose your lanes and get a baton."

Our starter, Matsuko, claimed the fourth lane, right in the middle. We preferred the middle because we wouldn't have as sharp turns as we would in the first and we wouldn't feel like everyone was catching up to us as we would in the eighth, as the starting blocks were staggered. I ran to my segment as the anchor while Maki ran to third and Izumi got to second. I stretched my hamstrings, waiting for the whistle to blow. A hand tapped my right shoulder.

"Hey, Oikawa-chan," Okada Satoshi greeted me.

"Hi, Okada-san," I smiled. Okada was one of my classmates and was pretty popular with the female population at Karasuno, although not quite as popular as Tooru. I'd admit, he was fairly attractive with his luscious black hair and clear, light brown eyes. Not to mention, he was smart enough to tutor some peers (who by coincidence, were mostly girls), quite tall at 6'1", and athletically built. However, I had no romantic interest him. He was too... snakey at times.

"How much do you want to bet that I'll win?" Okada smirked. I rolled my eyes and returned the hooded eyes.

"Negative 500 yen, since my team will be the first to cross that finish line," I replied just as the whistle blew. Okada nodded with a cynical expression, and we both turned to the starters.

The first runners had taken off and made their way to the second runners. Matsuko fought to run past Akiyama Hideo on Okada's team in the fifth lane. Both teams passed their batons to the second runners, their second runner being Nakamura Katsumi. I groaned as Izumi slightly slowed down before the end of the exchange zone due to Matsuko not catching up fast enough. Nakamura grabbed his baton seamlessly and surged past Izumi, who started catching up. At the third exchange zone, our teams were almost matched up. We exchanged at the same time, and now Maki and Watanabe Akihiko were chasing towards us. Okada and I got into position, about ten steps before the exchange zone. I stretched my left arm out, ready to receive the baton and see the look on Okada's face as I beat the shit out of him. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as Maki approached, signalling me to turn forward and start running. I felt her footsteps get closer and closer as I reached the middle of the exchange zone.

"Hand!" she shouted. I grabbed onto the metal baton and felt her loosen her grip. Then I started sprinting.

Okada was about half a metre ahead of me. I leaned forward, fighting the urge to tilt my body back. This was it - I was _not_ about to lose 500 yen. With each step, I thrust my opposite arm forward and pushed my legs with all my might. I was catching up to Okada - no, I was past him! The line was 30, 20 metres ahead! I held back a laugh as I saw Okada fall behind me. The sounds of rubber and metal hitting the track were the only thoughts that I could hold. I was practically there!

I fell.

 _Fuck._ Pain coursed through my body, starting at my right ankle. I watched as six people crossed the finish line through my tear-brimmed eyes. Okada ran to me, worry written all over his face.

"Oikawa-chan! Are you okay?" He crouched next to me. I could only hold my injured ankle and breathe deeply to keep myself from crying. Coach approached me. I was vaguely aware of the baton two metres behind me, and my own baton being strangled by my left hand.

"Ow..." I groaned. My teammates started running towards me as the rest of the team burst into urgent-sounding murmurs.

"Okada, Uchida, take her to the infirmary. Let me know the details after," Coach said. Okada and Maki nodded and took either side of me, ready to help me get to the nurse.

"I'm so sorry, Coach Noguchi! I lost my footing and dropped the baton!" Okada bowed deeply first to Coach, then to me. I shook my head.

"It's fine, Okada-san," I choked through my helpless tears. Coach nodded.

"We'll work on that after. Just take her to the infirmary now," she ordered. She then turned to the rest of the group and started giving directions. Okada and Maki helped me stand up by slinging my arms across their shoulders. I moaned in pain from applying pressure on my right foot.

"Does it... does it hurt badly?" Okada tentatively broke the ice as we approached the main building. Maki and I looked at him with incredulous stares.

"I'm just not going to answer that." I chuckled. God, it _did hurt_. A slight breeze blew as we reached the front entrance to the school, slightly displacing my bangs, which escaped my headband. Trying my best to blow and shake my head to fix it, I completely missed the figure who opened the door, exiting the school.

"Hikaru! What happened!?" Tobio exclaimed. Quickly, his eyes scanned the scene before him to draw a conclusion.

"She rolled her ankle on the baton... that I dropped..." Okada shook his head. Tobio glared at him for a second before jolting forward before suddenly stopping, as if he wanted to help but didn't know how. I smiled.

"Eh, Tobio, do you mind fixing my hair? My arms are kind of full..." I suggested, biting back the pain of shifting my weight to my right foot slightly. Tobio nodded before using his hand to swipe the stray hairs back to my head. I could see Maki looking away and holding back her laughter out of my peripheral, not to mention Okada staring in disbelief at the sight before him on the other side. _Shit._ _Hikaru, you fucking dumbass._ I'm definitely gonna get a ton of shit for this. Seemingly oblivious to the reactions of the two other individuals at the scene, Tobio put a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes.

"I'll walk home with you this afternoon, okay?" I nodded in response. Satisfied, Tobio resumed his earlier position and moved out of our path. "I have to get back with these band-aids, I'll see you at lunch."

Tobio ran back to the boy's gym, allowing my trio to continue to the infirmary. Things were awkwardly silent for a good two seconds before both Okada and Maki burst into conversation. Feeling attacked, I stop in my steps (well, limp) and gestured for them to talk one at a time.

"Oikawa-chan, you are Tobio are _dating?_ You never told me that!" Okada yelled, almost exactly like my brother. Maki seemed to have caught on and let out a laugh.

"No, Satoshi-kun. They're 'only friends,' they've definitely 'never done anything more than just friends,' and she 'doesn't like him that way.'" Maki guffawed, using finger quotes. Okada turned almost bright red at the realisation of what Maki was suggesting, and it was my turn to blush like a tomato.

"W-what the hell, Maki!" I turned to Okada. "No, Okada-san, I swear we really are just friends! Maki is a fucking snake!" Okada eyed me suspiciously and slightly interrogatively, almost like Tooru. Maki took this as another chance to embarrass me.

"Jeez, Satoshi-kun! You sound like her brother - oh, wait! Are you acting protective over her because you like her? That's so sweet! But sadly, she's taken by her hot boyfriend Kage-" my sharp nails digging into her shoulder interrupted her sentence. Both Okada and I turned shades of red and pink, all the while Maki was laughing her ass off. I pouted and sighed, too tired and in urgent need of medical attention to defend Okada or myself. We made it the nurses office in silence, save the sound of footsteps and Maki's life-concerning wheezing. Maki released my arm.

"Well, I'm gonna go get a drink of water. Satoshi-kun, sit her down and get some help. Try not to rape her while she's helpless, although I know it can be te-" this time, she was cut off by Okada closing the door to the infirmary, physically blocking her out.

Now that I had no Maki to distract me, the immediate pain in my right ankle returned to me. I hobbled over to the bed as efficiently as I could with a messed-up ankle. Okada helped me sit down and turned to face me.

"I-I'm gonna get you an ice-pack, okay? Don't... don't try to walk," he stated before locating the nurse and heading to the freezer to retrieve an ice pack. Hah, how far could I walk even if I tried? To the edge of the bed, maybe to the office door? I leaned against the wall, swallowing my pain. Okada returned with an ice pack, but no nurse.

"Thank you," I bowed my head as much as I could. I slapped the bag to my ankle. _Instant relief_. I sighed and threw my head back, stressed from the recent change of events. Would I be able to run by the Spring Tournament?

Okada sighed, sitting down on the bed next to me. "The nurse will be here soon," he explained. After a short pause, he decided to open his mouth again. "You... you and Kageyama... you're not actually dating, right?" He inquired cautiously. I shook my head.

"No, Okada-san. Maki just has nothing better to do than digging up nonexistent drama," I rolled my eyes. He nodded and leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. I followed suit. The quiet buzz of the incandescent lights put us in a comfortable silence. I could almost forget the pain of my ankle now, due to the sharp cold of the ice pack.

"Hey, Oikawa-chan, can I ask you something?" Okada whispered next to me. I hummed an affirmative response. "How come you only call me by my surname?" I opened an eye to find him focused on his twiddling thumbs.

"I don't know, do you want me to call you Satoshi-san?" I suggested. His eyes met mine, a smile creeping up his face.

"Satoshi is fine. Can I call you Hikaru-chan, then?" He grinned. I nodded. Satoshi hummed happily as the nurse walked in the room. He got off the bed and onto the chair next to it as the nurse examined my ankle. After a couple of painful movements of my foot, the nurse concluded a minor sprain. I wouldn't have to go to a doctor and get crutches/a splint/a cast, and the nurse said it would heal within a week and a half. much to my displeasure. The tournament was in just over a week and a half! Satoshi helped me hobble over to our classroom, as classes were just about to start.

"I can't believe Mika-san ditched us," he sighed. "I'll tell Coach Noguchi about your diagnosis after school. Do you want me to help you walk home?" I shook my head.

"Tobio offered already, so it's fine. Unless you want to join us," I laughed. He blinked back at me.

"Yes, I would," his eyebrows furrowed. Was he serious about it?

"Um, alright then! I usually meet Tobio at his locker, so you can come with," I smiled at him. He nodded as a few other members of the track team entered the classroom, including Mika, who brought my bag and proper shoes, and Akiyama-san, who brought Satoshi's track stuff. We exchanged quick thank yous and a quick debrief on my injury (after which Satoshi had to hold back Mika, as she was about to fight my foot). The bell rang, signalling the others to head to their classes - save Akiyama-san, who was also in our class. Satoshi headed back to his assigned seat as I stared longingly out the window, contemplating how the next week and a half would take place. I wanted to fall asleep and wake up with my ankle still intact, or wake up from this horrifying dream that was a reality. Maybe I could heal quickly! Maybe I would only be out of it for a week! But what if it took longer than expected, and I would have to miss the tournament, letting my team down? _Only one thing was certain_ , I realised as I glanced at Satoshi, the man who inflicted and helped me through my struggle this morning.

 _I wouldn't be able to run for too long._

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 **Word count (excluding bold): 2152**

 **Last updated: Sept. 30, 2017**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry this is kinda late! I had a minor writer's block but it's over now (I hope)!**

 **Thanks again for reviews and favourites! It's really cool yet scary to have people read your writing, but I'm grateful you guys enjoy reading my writing!**

 **Also, don't hesitate to criticise my writing - I'm still developing my skills and all observations or suggestions are welcome!**

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The lunch bell went off abruptly as I finished up my notes on parabolas. I cleaned up my stuff and tried to get off my seat as a hand stopped me.

"Hikaru-chan, let me help you," Satoshi advocated. Giving him a quick nod in thanks, I shuffled towards his arm. He grabbed my supplies and let me grab onto his humerus. As we made our way down the hallway, a symphony of whispers echoed around the halls. However, the orchestra was terribly balanced and did not blend well. Instead of a nice harmony, many lines stuck out above others.

 _"Oikawa-chan with Okada-kun?"_

 _"Are they dating?"_

 _"Isn't that girl's brother some hot third year? Satoshi-kun should be careful..."_

I ignored the outlying "instruments" and made my way to my locker, at which Tobio was waiting with his usual pout. His deep blue irises shifted towards Satoshi and I as we approached. Perhaps it was Tobio's demeanour, or maybe Satoshi's uneasy stance - but something caused me to detect a thinly stretched tension in the air. Awkwardly, I swung open the hinges of my locker and grabbed my lunch.

"Hey, Tobio! I didn't think you could be fast enough to meet me at my locker for once..." slight chortles echoed in my mouth. Tobio shrugged, still eyeing Satoshi who looked uncomfortably in another direction.

"Yeah, I didn't think so either, Hikaru. Hello, Okada," Tobio gave one last glance at Satoshi before returning his gaze to my movements.

"Hey, Kageyama..." Satoshi sent a tight smile back. My slender fingers reached for the books from Satoshi's arms and placed them in their compartments in my locker. Twisting the lock back on, I returned to Tobio and Satoshi, who were both watching me intently. Startled, I was quick to clear my throat, which seemed to snap both of them out of their daze.

"Thanks for carrying my books, Satoshi," I slightly bowed and turned to Tobio."Let's go eat now!" He nodded, lightly grabbing onto my arm. Fingers found his well-built arms carefully, hoping to avoid an otherwise inevitable air of discomfort. Turning my head in his direction, I waved at Satoshi.

"Be careful, Hikaru-chan," he warned before turning back and meeting up with Akiyama and his other friends. His voice wavered a bit, almost like he was possessed. Nonetheless, I nodded and proceeded to the picnic tables with Tobio. Silence enveloped us as we made our way, broken only by small moans and grunts whenever my ankle jerked too harshly. Tobio helped me sit down and immediately hurried to the vending machine, returning a minute later with a milk and an apple juice. Content with his purchase, he stabbed his own milk as he settled into the bench across the table in front of me. Stabbing my own container, I sipped on the juice as we both opened our lunches. Tobio broke the silence after a couple of minutes.

"... _Satoshi_?" he stared at his milk. I tilted my head at him.

"...Yeah, that's his name, right?" He looked up at my puzzled eyes and shook his head.

"Never mind. Besides that, how is your ankle? Do you need to see the doctor? I can take you this afternoon," Tobio said, replacing the milk with a piece of milk bread. I scowled before answering.

"It's sprained. I won't be able to run for at least a week, probably. The nurse says I'll be fine without a doctor." Tobio leaned closer, eyes wide.

"That's not good. How will you practice?" He frowned. My eyebrows furrowed and my lips curled into a cringe. I looked into his innocent eyes who waiting for an answer.

"I _can't, Tobio-chan_. That's the point," I sibilated, accidentally using my brother's term for Tobio. Realising my mistake, I retreated and shook my head. "Sorry, Tobio, I didn't mean to be rude."

Tobio gazed at me, raising his hand in defence. "It's fine. Anyway, do you want to get some ice cream after school? I'll buy you some popsicles," he offered before taking a sizeable bite from his onigiri. My mouth watered at the thought of icy desserts.

"Sure! Thanks so much, Tobio!" faltering at the return of a thought. "Oh yeah... Satoshi wanted to walk home with us too. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Tobio shrugged while leaning back, finishing off his onigiri. A patter of discomfort... or something... shook through my veins for a moment, although I couldn't name why. I shook the feeling off and contently finished my lunch, sharing sparse chatter with Tobio.

By the end of the day, the overwhelming pain in my ankle had subsided quite a lot, although it was still throbbing a bit with every step. I could just barely walk without obstructing the hallway or stumbling - and I probably wouldn't have been able to do that without Satoshi's help.

Satoshi had helped me to my locker and was now patiently waiting as I sorted my books and prepared my bag. The locker door swung back to close the compartments to reveal Tobio coming down the hallway from a distance. Slinging his own bag over his shoulder, Satoshi formed a slightly surprised expression on his face as he saw Tobio as well. I smiled and adjusted my bag as he approached with an innocent expression.

"Hey, Hikaru, Okada," he greeted, hands resting in his pockets.

"Hey, Kageyama! You don't mind me coming allow with you, right?" Satoshi blinked, pushing me slightly as he shifted forward. Tobio shook his head.

"No, it's fine. Let's go," he suggested. Holding out his hand, he gestured for me to grab on. I moved forward to hold his arm, but A small invisible tug held onto my jacket for just a moment. _Weird_. It felt like some force was holding me back, almost as if it didn't want me to touch Tobio. My face heated for a split second before I shook it off and held on to Tobio's arm.

We headed out the front gates and down the sidewalk that led to the dessert shop where Tobio or Tooru (never together, for obvious reasons) and I would head whenever we had time to waste. Ordinarily, I would skip across the pavement in front of Tobio but because of my recent injury, I was restricted to exclusively humming as I tentatively moved my feet. Satoshi walked on my left side, while Tobio supported the side of my injury. Satoshi kept a small conversation going as we made our way.

"Hikaru, you have a brother, right?" He leaned over to look at me. I nodded, still humming my favourite tune from my multiple games.

"Yep! Onii-chan goes to Aoba Johsai, though, so you probably won't meet him," I answered, half-skipping, half-limping. Tobio's face scrunched at the mention of my brother, while Satoshi stopped in his tracks.

"Hikaru-chan! How could you say that? What if I already met your brother, huh?" His raised an eyebrow. I chuckled.

"Why, are you a fangirl in disguise? In that case, I'll go ahead and politely reject you for my brother, to save you the trouble," I pulled a neatly-kept business card out of my shirt pocket and handed it to Satoshi, who skimmed over it and returned with a humoured expression.

"What the hell, Hikaru? You had the time to make rejection cards for your brother?" Laughing, he slipped the card into his own shirt pocket. We resumed our journey after he quickly caught up with Tobio and me.

"Mmhmm. You have no idea how many annoying fangirls have come to me and asked to come over to see Tooru or something even more direct," I nodded. "It seemed like a good investment of my free time."

Satoshi nodded, but a voice came from the other direction. "How do you know he'll reject all of them?" I turned to face Tobio's round, deep blue irises.

"Well, he laughed and approved when I showed him the finished product," I chirped. Of course Tooru would accept. He was too polite to reject all his fangirls at once, and he definitely did not need girls in the first year or lower, who were more... enthusiastic... following him around. It's like they treated him as a god, or a mythical creature, or something. Tobio let out a soft exhale to show he understood, but he probably really didn't. Before I could explain, we arrived at the glass doors of the Dessert Emporium.

There were only about seven or eight people at this time - all of which were students either studying or spending time after school with their friends. We stood in front of the counter, trying to decide on what to order. There were so many options! I could get a strawberry popsicle or a mango popsicle or a watermelon popsicle or a green apple popsicle - the possibilities were just about endless! Could I ask for a mix? Maybe I should ask for a strawberry-banana popsicle or a dragon fruit-grape popsicle or-

"I got it!" Satoshi snapped his fingers. "I'm gonna order a strawberry-coffee ice cream cone! What about you guys?" Tobio furrowed his brows.

"...Strawberry... and... coffee?" The cringe was practically melting his face. Satoshi glared in defence.

"Hey! It's a good combo! Haven't you guys ever put strawberries in your coffee?" Both Tobio and I shook our heads.

"Nope. And I don't think I'll ever do that. Blueberry milkshake for me," Tobio stated with a regal expression. I held back laughter.

"Okay, you _pleb_ , stick with the boring stuff. I've finally decided that I'll get a watermelon-green apple popsicle," humming, I patted his shoulder, consoling him for his bland taste in desserts.

Tobio sighed. "How the hell have they never rejected your requests yet?" he muttered. I giggled. That was a good question, actually. I didn't recall ever ordering something normal here. My orders were always extensive and probably very hard to follow. Last time, I wanted a vanilla-pistachio sundae with sprinkles on one side, chocolate and caramel drizzle on the other side, topped with an ice cream sandwich containing strawberry chunks. It was like Papa's Freezeria, except the employees actually had to make all of the parts.

We made our way to the cashier to pay for our orders. After Satoshi paid for his ice cream, I hobbled forward and proceeded to take out my wallet when Tobio stopped me.

"I said I'd pay, remember?" He held up his wallet. I beamed at him.

"You really meant that? Thanks, Tobio! You're my best friend!" I exclaimed. Tobio nodded and gave the cashier our orders.

After our orders were recorded, we claimed a booth next to a window, patiently waiting for our desserts to be prepared.

"See, Tobio! The girl working there didn't even scowl this time! She laughed!" I pointed out.

"Maybe because it was a relatively simple order, compared to your other ones..." He rolled his eyes. Satoshi laughed.

"Don't even worry about it, Hikaru-chan! Once I ordered something so extensive, it took up half a foot of receipt!" He crossed his arms somewhat proudly. Tobio scoffed, clearly perplexed by our unusual preferences.

"That's not something to be proud of..." I smirked. Tobio nodded in agreement until I continued my sentence. "Once, I ordered something so specific, it took up three-quarters of a foot of receipt!" I exclaimed showing the length with my arms. Both of them stared in surprise, although Satoshi looked more with awe while Tobio bore an expression of disbelief and disappointment. I laughed at their shocked expressions. Oh, absolutely gold!

We got our desserts from the counter and left the store to start walking home. Tobio displayed a rare expression as he sipped happily at his drink, something of which Satoshi was definitely not accustomed.

"Satoshi, which way is your house? Both of ours lead down the left road," I pointed with one arm, holding my precious pink and green popsicle in the other. Satoshi licked his ice cream before answering.

"Mine is the other way. I'll see you tomorrow, then? I trust Tobio can get you home safely, right?" he answered, looking at Tobio. We both nodded in response. Bidding our goodbyes, Tobio and I resumed our expedition home. I lightly grabbed onto his shoulder while we walked in tranquillity, enjoying our cold desserts. Another melody made its way through my throat, as Tobio didn't seem to mind. Finally, we arrived at my house.

"Thanks for walking me home, Tobio!" I bowed slightly at my door. He nodded and turned to leave, but something tugged at me to stop him.

"H-hey, Tobio..." I called out. His head turned over, expression expectant. "Do you wanna stay over for a bit?" He moved towards the doorway again and walked to me.

"Sure, okay," he smiled slightly. I felt fluttery at the sight - he was so precious sometimes! Hastily, before he could see the blush that spread across my face, I turned to open the door. _What the hell was that, Hikaru?_ I brushed the feeling off. It was just _Tobio_ , right?

Tobio stepped in and took off his shoes, and we made our way to the living room. As if by instinct, he sat down while I turned on the TV and gaming console. A devious smile stretched on my lips when I turned back to Tobio, holding up two games. A devious idea planted itself in my mind, forcing an involuntary smirk to show on my face.

"So, how do you want to lose today, Tobio? Mariokart or Smash Bros?" Tobio's expression suddenly changed from relaxed to challenged as he rose an eyebrow.

"Seriously? The only loss I'll have today is that I won't have the chance to pass you as I claim first place," He laughed. I shrugged, inserting Mariokart.

"Your loss! You are right about one thing, though. There's no way you can pass the Sovereign, Tobio~," I grabbed the controllers, handing him one as I crashed on the couch next to him.

So the games began.

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 **Word count (excluding bold): 2400**

 **Last updated: Oct. 16, 2017**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Yeah okay the writing block was not over and I was super busy with school and responsibilities I've been pushing back so sorry this is really late haha…**

 **Thank you for your criticism and suggestions! It's kinda hard for me to spot choppy parts out of my own writing as I'm more focused on content and conventions, so I actually appreciate that a lot! As for the KT/OH/OT dynamic, that's for this chapter. :)**

 **I'll be editing previous chapters more in the next week (since we have a bunch of days off from school) and updating the next chapter in like two weeks or something? I don't know. Sorry lol. Anyway thanks for reading!**

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"Ha! Take that, Tobio!" I yelled as I crossed the finish line for the thirty-second time in a row. Tobio groaned in defeat, rubbing his eyes and sinking down into the couch to my chorus of laughter.

"It's because of your stupid blue shells! If you didn't throw them, I would've won half the races!" Ah, excuses, excuses.

"Yeah, and if you were faster than me, you could beat me in a race. If you could untie my shoelaces in a split second, you could totally trip less than me. If you-" Tobio's hand covered my mouth. I laughed through his fingers and tasered him to make him let go, then quickly held my stance, ready for any counter-attacks.

Abrupt thuds from the front doorsteps interrupted my reign of victory. Tobio stiffened, gathering himself from the mess he was two seconds ago and making it look like he was at least somewhat presentable, although his hair was still mussed from whining on the couch.

The door swung open, followed by footsteps and sounds of bags hitting the tile floor.

"Hika-chan~! I'm home!" A familiar annoying voice yelled into the house. Tobio's eyes immediately widened, as did mine. Hurriedly, I did my best to run to greet the garbage.

"Nii-san! How was practice?" _Shoot_ , I forgot to tell him about my recent injury. I braced at the wall tentatively as Tooru took off his shoes and moved over to ruffle my hair.

"Great! Makki lost a bet and had to buy us all milk bread! How was your day, Hika-chan?" His arm slung over my shoulders, he moved to what I was assuming the kitchen, causing a sudden jolt in my ankle. _Shit_. A sharp gasp escaped my lungs, triggering a worried Tooru. "Hika-chan?!" I held up my hands defensively, sinking down against the wall to get a hold of myself and the tears that were about to fall.

"Y-yeah, I sprained my ankle during practice this morning," I groaned. Tooru furrowed his brows and stared at me incredulously, almost like he was mad or something.

"Wh-what? Why didn't you text me? Call me? Shouldn't we get you to a doctor? What about your tournament? Hikaru?!" I shook my head. Too... too many questions. The pain from my ankle was crawling up my throat and robbing my ability to speak or care to speak, for that matter. Tooru left my side and made towards the kitchen, adjacent to the open living room. "I'm getting you an ice-pack, Hika-chan." I swung at his arm to stop him, but it was too late.

"...Oikawa-san," a quiet voice greeted.

"Tobio-chan!? Why are you here!? You kidnapped my sister, didn't you!? Hikaru!-" Tooru came running back to me, sans ice. _Whoops_ , guess I also forgot to tell him about our visitor. I somewhat pulled myself from the ground and forced a sheepish smile at my brother, who kept staring and pouting with his stupid face.

"Oh yeah, and Tobio came over," I answered none of the questions he asked, although this didn't stop him from raising new inquiries.

"How come you never tell me anything? What else are you hiding from me? What did he do to you? Hikaru! You're on a date, aren't you? And why is both of your hair messy? He didn't-" Tooru lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned closer to me, eyes wide and accusing. "You two-"

I shut him up with a hand, struggling to restrain the blush that was heating my cheeks. I really did not want him to confirm what I thought he was implying. "Tooru! We just played Mariokart!" Tooru backed up from my face and crossed his arms, scrutinising me with squinted eyes. This was easily his scariest habit, at least in my opinion. Having a 6-foot tall guy with an annoying-looking face trying to figure out who-knows-what was always a scary experience, even if the guy was my own brother.

Thankfully, the door opened once again. Tobio had made his way to the front entrance where we were, by now, and looked slightly surprised at the new entry.

"Tooru! Hikaru!" Mom called. She moved over to ruffle our hair but stopped in her tracks, eyes glimmering. Much to Tooru's disgust, this was because she had seen Tobio.

"Hello, Oikawa-san. Sorry, I stayed too long. I'll be on my way home," Tobio bowed. Tooru smirked in approval, but my mother completely ignored my brother's obvious affirmative opinions.

"No, Tobio, you should stay over for dinner!" she placed a soft hand on Tobio's shoulder. Tobio smiled and accepted her offer, oblivious to the faces of disgust Tooru was making behind him. Mom chuckled and moved past us.

Tobio bowed in thanks, receiving deadly glares from Tooru. Tooru made his weird irked face and moved forward to spit some straight fire at Tobio, but thankfully my mom called us all over before something could happen.

"Tobio, why don't you join Hikaru and Tooru and help us make dinner tonight?"

I quickly pulled onto Tobio's arm not only to break the annoying glare Tooru was giving him but to help my balance as I stumbled down the hall. Mom was already gathering ingredients as she tossed aprons to Tobio and me and immediately directed us to tasks. Tooru was left with a fitting pastel pink floral apron.

"With four people helping, we'll be done in no time!" Mom smiled extra sweetly to Tobio. Tooru stuck his tongue out behind Tobio, who turned around and shot a glare back. Nervous laughter echoed as I tried to pull one away from the other and prevent a verbal showdown, all behind my oblivious mothers back. I could only do my best to ensure that Tobio and Tooru were on opposite sides of the kitchen and pray that we would avoid casualties this afternoon.

After an hour of hard work keeping the two separated, dinner was prepared and set on the table just as Dad arrived home. Both Tooru and I greeted him sweetly as usual, but it was really Tobio who got his attention.

"Hello, Oikawa-san," he bowed. Dad's eyes sparkled - again, to Tooru's disgust.

"Hey, Kageyama! You're here for dinner, right?" He bellowed, giving Tobio a hearty smack on the shoulder, to which my friend reacted with a small stumble. Poor guy, if my dad high fived a wall, he'd leave a handprint - don't trust me, trust the wall next to Tooru's room. Dad and Tobio exchanged a few words while Tooru squinted his eyes and left the scene out of disgust.

Famished, we moved to the dinner table where our afternoon's of labour lay in its most appetizing beauty. All the food was laid out perfectly in such a delectable manner that it practically pulled at me to hurry and eat! I lunged towards a seat next to one Tobio was taking, but a small shove intervened my thoughts and made me rub my shoulder.

"Ow, what the hell, Tooru?" He'd pushed me one seat over, taking the place I meant to sit.

"Yeah, no," he sat in the seat now separating Tobio and me. After settling down, we said our prayers and began eating.

"So, what happened at school today? Kageyama?" Dad asked, separating a piece of fish with his chopsticks. He flashed a smile at Tobio.

"I sprained my ankle at practice," I dead-panned. Both of my parents' hands stopped moving.

"What? Why didn't you tell us?" My mom exclaimed. I mean, I thought they would've seen my staggering limp by now, but maybe they were too distracted by the presence of my brother's _favourite_ _kouhai_.

I waved it off, "It's okay, the nurse said it's only minor and I'll be better by the tournament anyway, probably." I chewed on a bit of broccoli, mumbling the last bit. _Please, redirect the conversation._ I didn't really want to hear about how this injury could mess up my entire life and leave me on the streets or something. Thankfully, Tooru came to the rescue.

"On a side note, I failed my science test!" he chirped, drawing the attention of everyone at the table. We waited for Tooru to finish chewing and continue his profound story. I was half waiting for him to send a peace sign and "just kidding, I scored 110%!" but I also wanted to hear how the Grand King had failed.

"I'm not kidding. I filled in the first answer twice and shifted all my answers! I only got eight out of 33 correct! The teacher let me fix the sheet after, though, so I scored 103% because I answered the bonus question number 34 right as well," he laughed. I watched through my peripheral as both my parents let out a sigh of relief and Tobio chewed somewhat extra aggressively. I guess I wasn't the only one who wanted to see the rare sight of Tooru failing school.

My father redirected his attention to Tobio. "So, son, how's it going? Any events coming up for you?" he beamed. Tobio paused.

"Well, there's a volleyball tournament coming up soon as well," he said, twirling a vegetable in his chopsticks. Immediately, Tooru stiffened and smirked. _Oh_ _shit_. He couldn't have said something about upcoming tests? A book he was reading? Strawberry milk? _Literally anything but volleyball?_

Before Tooru could say anything, I tried my best to kick his leg under the table, but pain shot through my stiff ankle and prevented me from delivering. My brother leaned back from his plate, staring amusedly at a fixed point in front of him but not looking at his kouhai.

At this point, Tobio seemed to realize his mistake as well.

Tooru laughed. His prior passive-aggressive toleration of Tobio seemed to crumble as his expression fell to that scary demeanour he always has when he's about to annoy someone. "Yeah, I'll see you there, _Tobio-chan_! Hopefully your team got better since last time, because we did too! I wouldn't want to see you lose before you get to us, that would just be a shame. Plus, wouldn't it be cool for the King to go against his ex-teammates once again in the Spring Tournament? Wow, imagine the look on your face as you lo-"

"That's enough," Dad glared at Tooru, who shrugged and continued eating, still bearing his scary emotion. _Seriously? He chooses this time to be a brat?_ Clearly irritated, Tobio closed his mouth and repressed any conversation he was hoping to have with my brother. I chewed on my lip, hoping that something would come swinging down from the ceiling to hit Tooru's stupid head. Silence cloaked the setting.

After a couple of minutes, Tobio stood up with his empty plate and bowed to my parents.

"Thank you, that was lovely. I should get going now. Have a nice day."

"So soon, Kageyama? All right, have a nice night! Hikaru, why don't you accompany him to the door?" My mom forced a smile. I set down my chopsticks to move up, but Tooru stood up faster.

"Mom, she's injured. I'll escort Tobio-chan instead," he made his way to the door where Tobio was already almost at, ignoring my mom's glare of objection and continuing towards Tobio while wearing his stupid sly expression. I sent my fair shares of glares at Tooru as well, swearing to beat him up if he touched Tobio or said some annoying shit. For now, I could only listen as Tooru exchanged a few words with Tobio, followed by a very annoying "Bye, Tobio-chan!" and a closed door. The dumbass of the night made his way back to meet all three of our unanimous glares.

"Relax, I just told him to have a safe walk home," he showed his palms in defence, his eyes already returning to the food on his plate. While my parents let the matter pass, I stared at him and leaned back at a lost for what to yell at him first. No one said anything, as it always was whenever Tooru was piqued. I'd have to wait for a better time to wipe his stupid smirk off his face.

Dinner concluded quietly so Tooru and I moved to our rooms to start studying. My brother pushed ahead of me, but I lunged at his arm and pulled him back, ignoring the discomfort in my ankle. Sighing, he turned around and held his free hand to his hip, waiting for me to say something.

"What the _fuck_ , Tooru?" I hissed, fingernails digging into his wrist. He tilted his head, mocking me.

"What do you mean, Hika-chan? Please explain," He shot a fake smile. A low rumble evoked deep in my throat.

"I mean, what the hell was that? Jeez, can't you get over the fact that he's your prodigy kouhai, and treat him like you would my other friends?" I spat. Tooru's shoulders stiffened, and he leaned into me.

" _Hika-chan_ , I think you're forgetting the fact that he's a narcissistic brat who only plays for himself. He takes everything for his own use and throws the unwanted onto other people's shoulders like the tyrant king he is. His stupid ass doesn't even know when other people are pissed until they blatantly tell him. Then he gets all defensive and continues to blame them for not meeting his needs. I have every right to taunt him as a rival team member, anyway," Tooru jeered. Seriously? He's still talking about Junior High?

"Get fucked, you're still salty about how he has higher potential than you? God, Tooru, not only is that bullshit a lie but just immature. Tobio's nothing like that!" I whisper-yelled. Tooru's eyes widened in anger, and he leaned back, arms crossed.

"Hikaru, do you have any idea what he's taking from me?" he barely uttered, eyes lidded and vexed. I took no extra time to reply.

"What, your pride?" I hissed. Tooru stared down into my fiery eyes for a few seconds before shaking his head and turning to leave.

"Go study, Hika-chan. You should catch up on school now that you can't participate in track. Don't you have a big test coming up?" He stated bluntly, trying to use a sweet tone that was strangled with frustration and displeasure. He closed the door to his room, leaving me in the hall to my anger. _What the hell did he mean?_ I stormed into my room, ignoring the shooting pains at my joint. Crashing down on my navy blue sheets, I tapped a playlist on my phone, blasting it with my speaker to drown everything out.

When my own brother couldn't come to terms with me, sleep embraced me with open arms.

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 **Word count (excluding bold): 2539**

 **Last updated: Nov. 8, 2017**


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